I have an '04 VDP that still has two Continentals on it dated 34th week of 2003. Yes, 2003. They are probably original, the spare is the same and I don't think it ever touched the ground. I know these are past retirement age but I also have two Pirelli's on the front that are 4 years old. Lots of tread left, are they too old? What's the rule of thumb for tire age? I would think in my climate (Southeast VA) that 6-7 years would be the max. It can hit 100 here in the summer but not often and single digits in the winter during cold snaps. I know the type of driving and road condition and sunshine all play a factor in their life but there must be a guesstimate factor somewhere. Now that I own the car the tires will be worn out before they age out (25K mi/yr).

 

From Edmonds:
"Carmakers, tire makers and rubber manufacturers differ in their opinions about the lifespan of a tire. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has no specific guidelines on tire aging and defers to the recommendations of carmakers and tire manufacturers. Carmakers such as Nissan and Mercedes-Benz tell consumers to replace tires six years after their production date, regardless of tread life. Tire manufacturers such as Continental and Michelin say a tire can last up to 10 years, provided you get annual tire inspections after the fifth year."

That said, I wouldn't be driving on what you have

 

Nope, not riding any on the maypops. I realize they may pop at any minute. I think I will put the Pirelli's on the back and new tires on the front. I think the Pirelli's are giving me a slight vibration and I want to rotate them to the back to see if that helps.
Thanks for the quote Sean, I searched here but found nothing definitive, I guess the auto industry has nothing definitive either. I'll stick with my 6-7 year limit.

 

When I bought my MG Midget off a friend in 2010, it had a full set of Pirelli Cinturatos on it with plenty of tread. I e-mailed my friend, who bought the car in 1987, (I went with him to pick it up), and asked when he had changed the tyres. He had never changed the tyres ! Car was on 18k miles when he bought it so I suspect they were the second set on the car. British Leyland usually fitted Dunlops made at Fort Dunlop in Birmingham.